I'm going to take the hatch struts off this afternoon when I get home, we'll see if the noise goes away. When I hold my hatch all the way open and push up I get the same noise... so I think it has to do with the struts in my case.

I'll keep you all posted.

 

After my homemade strut washers only worked for a little while, now I am thinking maybe it is slop in the latch/hatch ring interface. Has someone isolated the noise to just the passenger side, to eliminate the possibilty that the sound reflects and simply sounds like it is from that side.

Another thing to consider is that this problem has to do with extra movement cause by low temp. material contraction since this only seems to show up when it is cold.

 

Same kind of sound (metalish sound) and had rear wiper removed.

 

I've just gone and ordered all new rear strut hardware. I'm taking a $100 risk here in hopes that once I replace all of these components, everything will be fine. Wish me luck! Here's what I ordered:

1 x [55323] TUBE-DISTANCE,SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008Out of stock $7.01
1 x [55338] SEAL-SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008Out of stock $19.96
1 x [56217] BUSH-REAR SHOCK ABSORBER - 350Z (Z33) 2003-10/2006Out of stock $6.24
1 x [56113X] WASHER-SPECIAL - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008In stock $2.74
1 x [089183081A] NUT FLANGE - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008In stock $0.70
1 x [55040B] NUT - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2006Out of stock $1.17
1 x [55248N] COVER-BOUND BUMPER,REAR - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008Low stock $7.76
1 x [56218] BUSH-REAR SHOCK ABSORBER - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008Out of stock $8.04
1 x [55322] BRACKET ASSY-SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33) 2003-2008Out of stock $26.99

 

I think those are the same parts I had replaced. The noise was GONE for a few weeks and then graduallly, slowly came back. It was warm when it came back and could be heard all summer.

This is weird- it seems worse on the passenger side, right? But when they replaced the strut on that side, I still heard it on the driver's side (they did one side at a time) until that side was changed. So, is it something that occurs on both sides-i.e. at two different points?

Nissan CS STILL has not called me back. I've left 6 or 7 messages since last week. I don't get it.

 

A lot of times, I don't even believe Nissan when they say they fix something. The only thing I believed was my window motor, because I told them I wanted to see the old one after it's replaced, and that I wanted to walk inside to make sure the work was being performed.

I also really don't think it's coming from the driver's side at all. I've intentionally hit bumps with just my driver's side rear and heard nothing, unless the hit was hard enough that it caused the passenger side to jump a bit too.

 

I originally thought this was it as well, the service manager said it was normal, but I don't remember my last Z being like that, but i can't say for sure. I really don't use my hatch all that often and when i do I rarely push it all the way up for it to make the sound. (Where the ball stud attaches to the strut)

 

This is essentially what I have ordered except the dealer is replacing the strut (shock absorber) as well.

Still waiting on 3 more parts to come in.

 

It's definitely bad on the passenger side. I'm not entirely convinced it's coming from the driver's side it just sounds like it's faint over there. If I hear it on the driver side when the passenger side parts are replaced then I'll know for sure.

I wonder if there is a flaw in design that's causing something to wear out prematurely. This seems to be primarily in 06-08 years where they changed some aspects of the suspension. Just food for thought.

 

Just wanted to throw my hat in the ring as well. I have an '07 with less than 6k miles on it, bone stock, and it does it as well. Just started to notice it about a month ago. Same sound as on the audio clip coming from the rear passenger. I recently had my car at the dealership. Of course they said everything looked fine. They tightened "various" items, which seemed to help for about a day. One thing I noticed is that it seems to be worse when it's cold out or when the car is cold. Once warmed up, it's not as bad but still noticeable.

 

Same noise, right side. Started 6 months after new, I took it back 5 times and left it for as long as 8 days. They finally fixed it the last time in. Said they had the whole rear interior out and filled the right side body panels with expanding foam....that's what the said. It just started again after almost a year but on the left side, goes back in Tuesday. I only have 1 month warr left!

This and the "wipe off" paint on the door pull are the only problems I've had.

 

Expanding foam? The f*ck? If this is the fix for this issue, then this is some sh*t build quality on Nissan's part.

 

If expanding foam fixes it...why does it go away(temporarily or permanently) when the struts and related parts are replaced? These are external parts, expanding foam would be internal.

Unless the expanding foam just masks the sound so you don't hear it.



Honestly, I don't care what fixes it as long as it goes away.

 

My brother has a 07 z with the exact same problem. The noise is louder during temp changes and coming from the right rear, been to the dealer 7 times or so. The noise went away for a little bit but came back and now the left side is starting to make the same noise! I to own a 07 with only 7000 miles mine has not made the noise yet hope it doesn't. Nissan needs to do some research on this and find a solution!

 

You can read the problem here

https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance...ight-rear.html

 

Funny how an annoying problem can bring the community together, lol. Anyways, I have this problem also, 08, bone stock, 17k miles. Been dealing with it for about a year, but has gotten progressively worse. Every single bump makes me cringe. Sounds like metal on metal contact from the rear passenger side. I have moved the spare and every tool under the mat, nothing. I would suspect the hatch hitting something, but the idea of the pad in between the suspension makes sense also.

 

I spent a couple days in the trunk myself before taking it in. It sounds more like a rubberey, squeak/click/rattle thing up close. Much worse when cold outside. I don't even bother taking it in unless it's in the 20's-30's, otherwise they can't hear it often enought to check it. Nissan most def should have come out with something by now, I work in Ford service and they would have been all over it by now.

 

Well this is certainly interesting. There is a national production shortage of the following three parts:

[55323] TUBE-DISTANCE,SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33)
[55338] SEAL-SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33)
[55322] BRACKET ASSY-SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING - 350Z (Z33)


That would be numbers: 6 (mount), 7 (tube) and 8 (gasket seal) on this illustration. It makes me believe that perhaps there are others with this problem, and Nissan dealers are constantly ordering these parts, thus the shortage.

This delay totally sucks, I was hoping to have it this week. God knows how long it'll be now. =(

 

I've been waiting over a week for my parts to come in.

Thursday they said they're still waiting for three parts to come in, weird coincidence?

This is sounding more and more like a widespread problem, it's interesting that there isn't a TSB for this.

 

Interesting. We all need to speak up about this. Imagine how many more Z owners have this problem!

Still no callback from Nissan CS. I've left the same guy several messages. My warrantee is running out.

Is anyone interested in a class action suit? We could at least look into it.

I had all those parts replaced (supposedly) and I still have the noise as bad as ever. So, Nissan has yet to figure it out. How can they NOT be able to figure it out? They designed and built the car.